The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-09-24
ssToO LATE FOR A THIRD MAN,

Va JUG t"S AoSASAo NuCkA-I
ever the suggestion is made that the
convention relegate to the shades OF
private life bott McEnery aud Nichols
and bring forward as the standard
bearer of the Democracy some other
citizen equally competent, neritorious
and trustworthy. But it is not so. 1t
is never too late TO do good or to avoid
blunder when warned before it is
| committed.
The election does not occur until
next April. The State nominating
convention will probably not assemble
before the 18th of February or five
months hence. In the meantime the
| parishes will eject their delegates.
Then it is that l hope to see the Demo-
cratic party Of Louisiana do its whole
duty by returning to its ancient and
time-honorcd customs and rules, and
by repudiatiDg the modern corrupt
and infamous methods that. have Obs
| tained~in the administration Of its
political affairs restore its pristine
dignity, glory and power.
KNOW it will be difficult matter
to effect any such reform in this city.
Through the apathy and Indifference
| of the great mass of our Democratic
voters the absolute control of the party
has passed into the hands of ward
chooses" who have tsplayed it for all
it is worth" and solely for their own
Individual agsrandizemeni without
reference to the integrity of the party
or the welfare Of the people. Months
before every election they meet to
gether and swap off among themselves
ali of the Offices that are to DO filed.
Then they proceed to select delegates
pledged to carry out this agreement
in the convention by nominating those
collected by the chooses" in secret con.
slave assembled. Thus the convention
is held simply for forms sake and 10
publicly ratify the nominations made
by the chiefs. Such is the convention
system in New Orleans that it is not
surprising that every honorable and
decent citizen should be thoroughly
Disguised with politics as they are
pacticed here, and abstain from any
participation therein.
But in the campaign now upon vs.
our qttott10m "bosscs' arc not pro-
missed such smooth aud fair sailing.
Harmony, concert of action aud mu-
tuality of interests have departed from
their ranks, aud SO great have become
their discussions that we no longer
see one united and powerful "ring,"
but t,co, and one arrayed against the
other with all that venom, bitterness
and vindictivencss which usually
char acterize such internccine strifes,
In this severance of the ring, however,
there may BIO some hope for the pco-
pie. With the "Big Four" (Fizpat~
rick, Mealy, Duffy and Davy) in limo
Five" (Burke, Houston, Guillotte,
Brewster and Bu'Ier) we may look for
Il Kilkenny fight that l hopo will
prove equally disastrous to tho two
rings.
With these two factions so tiercely
struggling for supremacy in the differ
ent wards the conduct of the primaries
will probably be less ilagranlIy shame
full than formerly, and may afford free
and independent Democrats, who wear
no mans collar and are unwilling to
say 81 am Nichols Cor McEnery's)
deg: whose dog arc you ~ to be re-
presented by delegates in the convcn-
ton who will go there untrammeled
aud unrestricted for any one who will
act, after general consultation, for tho
greatest good of the party, and who
will have in view the unity, harmony
and success OF the Democracy now and
in the future.
Luckily, such il dcmoraliZcd con-
dition OF political affairs does not exist
in tho country parishes. There it is
we O: the city, who desire reform in
the methods of our politicians, and
relief from the horrible incubus tina,
has burdened It's like Siubad's "Oid
Man of the Sea-" must look for sym
pathy and aid in our unfortunate pre-
| 3jca mpnt